Can Israel Learn the Lesson of 70 AD? - with Gidi Dar and Rabbi David Stav

Dan Senor (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:18)

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Gidi Dar (0:23)

We need to be hysterical. I think now is the time to panic.

We have one advantage on the Jews 2,000 years ago. We saw what happened to them. So we might learn from that because many times people will see the films, ask me, why didn't they stop at all kinds of crossroads? And I say, because they didn't believe it's going to go so far, so quick.

David Stav (0:42)

Now talking to the American jury, but it applies to everybody, urging world jury to strengthen the voices in Israel that's sick for dialogue, that urge for inclusiveness, and not to help, and not to invite the voices that are divisive, the voices that put Israel in the edge, from the right or from the left. The Israeli society needs to recover from its injuries in the last couple of years. And a part of our responsibility is to help to strengthen the voices, you know, encourage the American jury to help these forces.

Dan Senor (1:32)

It's 8 a.m. on Monday, September 14th, here in New York City. It's 3 p.m. in Israel, where Israel's election campaign is kicking into high gear.

Before today's episode, a quick housekeeping note. On Thursday, October 22nd, just five days ahead of the Israeli elections, Call Me Back will hold a live taping at the Stryker Center in New York City, where I'll sit down with Dan Shapiro, Dahlia Scheinlin and Brett Stevens to discuss what's at stake in Israel's 2026 election and what its results will mean for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Tickets have gone on sale, so if you want to join us, please follow the link in the episode description. Now on to today's episode. Nearly 2000 years ago, in the year 70, Jerusalem fell. The Romans destroyed the Second Temple and ended Jewish sovereignty for many, many generations who dispersed around the world. But in Jewish memory, the story of 70 AD has never really been about Rome. It's mostly about what happened inside Jerusalem before the Romans broke through its walls. As Jewish factions turned on one another, an internal conflict consumed a society facing an existential enemy. That history is the subject of Legend of Destruction, a remarkable animated film by Israeli filmmaker Gidi Dar. Told through thousands of individually painted images and featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Evangeline Lilly, Elliott Gould and Billy Zane, the film has just been released on major streaming platforms. The film asks an uncomfortable question, what happens when political disagreement turns into blind hatred? It's a question that feels particularly urgent in Israel. Today, as the country heads towards an election after years of political upheaval, October 7th, war and deep divisions over religion, democracy, the military, who serves, the courts, and Israel's future.

History rarely repeats itself neatly, but many Israelis are asking, what are the lessons that Israelis should take from that history, and where does the analogy break down? My guests, filmmaker Gidi Dar and Rabbi David Stav, come from very different parts of Israeli society. Gidi comes from Israel's liberal world, more secular world, and Rabbi Stav is a leading voice in the religious Zionist community. But they share a deep concern about where these divisions can lead. One note before we begin, Call Me Back received rare and exclusive permission to include several extended scenes from Legend of Destruction in this episode. So I strongly recommend watching this conversation on our YouTube channel, rather than just listening to it. You can find a link in our YouTube channel in the show notes below. My conversation with Gidi Dar and Rabbi David Stav, right after this short message.

This episode of Call Me Back is brought to you by the Jewish Communal Fund, JCF.

The High Holidays are a time to reflect on what matters most, including the impact we hope to make in the year ahead. For 54 years, JCF has helped individuals and families put their values into action through thoughtful philanthropy. As the nation's leading Jewish donor-advised fund, JCF empowers donors to give more strategically maximized charitable tax savings and make a powerful difference with their giving. Through financial expertise, operational excellence and highly personalized service, JCF makes it easier to support the causes and communities that matter most. Learn more at jcfny.org or follow the link in the episode description. Jewish Communal Fund. Strategic giving. Powerful impact.

Gidi Dar, welcome to Call Me Back. Rabbi Stav, welcome back to the podcast. It's good to have both of you with me. Joining me from Israel.